New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday criticised the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress party was 'born' from an 'industrial house.'

In a post on X, Dubey shared a transcription of a debate in Parliament in 1969, started by the then Congress MP and former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, claiming that Indira Gandhi received a total donation of Rs 1.20 crore for a bye-election.

He further pointed out that this donation was made at a time when the price of salt was one paisa and pure ghee was 30 paise per kilogram.

Dubey, the BJP MP from Gonda, said that business conglomerates have contributed significantly to the country's economy, but added that he was duty-bound to expose what he termed as Rahul Gandhi's 'cheap politics' and the Congress party's legacy.

'Rahul Gandhi ji, why do you mislead the country's people by talking about Adani and Ambani? Because the Congress party @INCIndia was itself born from an industrial house. This is the debate of March 6, 1969, in Parliament, started by the then Congress member and former Prime Minister Chandrashekharji, which ultimately led to the formation of an inquiry committee. Rahul Gandhi ji's grandmother, Prime Minister Indira ji, received 60 lakh rupees from Birla ji alone for a by-election, with a total donation of 1 crore 20 lakh, at a time when the price of salt was 1 paisa and pure ghee was 30 paise per kilo,' Dubey claimed.

'A 50 crore company became a 600 crore company in 3 years. Their own bank, loans to their own company, and public sector banks gave loans only to 3 industrial houses? Only Hindustan Motors, i.e., Ambassador, could manufacture cars?' he added.

'I have no opposition to business houses; they have made a significant contribution to the country's economy, but exposing Rahul Gandhi ji's cheap politics and the history of the Congress party to the public is my duty,' he added.

His remarks come in response to Rahul Gandhi's repeated claims of the BJP's links with business Conglomerates.

A day earlier, while addressing a public rally in Bhubaneswar, Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP-led Odisha government of 'stealing the wealth' from poor people. 'The Government of Odisha has just one work--to steal the wealth of Odisha from the hands of the poor people of the state... Earlier, the BJD Government did this and now the BJP Government is doing this. On one side, there is the poor public of Odisha, Dalits, tribals, the backward class, farmers and labourers, and on the other side, there are 5-6 billionaires and the BJP Government. This fight is going on. Only the Congress workers, along with the people of Odisha, can win this fight; no one else,' he said.

The Congress MP also alleged that chariots of Lord Jagannath were halted during the Rath Yatra for industrialist Gautam Adani.

'Adani runs the Odisha Government; Adani runs Narendra Modi. When Jagannath Yatra is taken out in Odisha, when the Jagannath Yatra chariots are pulled, lakhs of people witness it and follow it. Then, a drama takes place--the chariots are stopped for Adani and his family. This will make you understand everything about the Government of Odisha,' he alleged. (ANI)